Thursday, February 10, 2011

Bike swap season approaches. If you know me or have followed this blog for a while you may be familiar with how I feel about local bike swaps. They are the heart of local bike scenes and must be supported.

The Pedal Pushers Club is throwing what looks looks to be a pretty good one on the hill. It's gotta be good, they've got a poster and everything!

Friday, February 4, 2011

If you commuters out there are wondering how the Capital Crescent is doing and if it's ok to ride again; here are today's conditions.

The Montgomery County Parks Department needs to invest in a zamboni. The trail is still mostly covered in very hard bumpy ice. The ice tires help a lot on the LHT but dammit I wish they were fatter. I'm tempted to ride my mountain bike to cushion the ride.

Hope this helps.

I got a care package yesterday from Lisa over at Clif Bar. I'm trying not to be such a whore but I love the crap out of their bars and am looking forward to trying out all the other crap they make.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Last Wednesday morning I installed some Innova Tundra Wolf studded snow tires on the LHT(yeah you know me). I did this just in time as Wednesday night became one of the worst DC traffic snarls in recent history. Most everyone I know had stories of anywhere from 5 to 11 hour commutes home. I on the other hand was delighted to be one of the very few people in the DC area who was moving, partly due to my new studded snow tires.

So far they have performed admirably. The studs offer quite a grip and allow for a quick recovery when my tires slide out. Besides the expected noise they do just fine on the 2 miles of pavement I ride each way. I know this will wear them out prematurely but it is what it is. They aren't the top of the line but they perform well and are half the price of most competitors.

I took a video this morning of the Innovas in action.

This is hard packed ices frozen in the shape of thousands of footsteps. The steel frame of the LHT was getting a good rogering as was my skeletal system. It took almost twice as long to get to work but I got there dammit.

Funny thing is, last night I dropped my hat on the trail. I didn't realize it was missing until I rode past it this morning. You can see it come up on the right at the very end of the video. The Great Trail Cycle continues.

Bottom line: Highly Recommended. In DC, might not need them all the time but for at least several weeks a year they're a life saver.Buy Them Ifyou brag about commuting all year long and you live above the Mason-Dixon Line.Don't Buy Them IfYou need an excuse not to ride in the snow.